Cone press



H. S. MESSING Oct. 1, 1963 CONE PRESS 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 22, 1960 INV EN TOR.

QTTOENEY Oct. 1, 1963 Filed July 22, 1960 H. S. MESSING CONE PRESS 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV EN TOR.

BY I 1mm Q- M HJQLMHR S. Mzssme w M mhr H. s. MESSING 3,105,434

CONE PRESS 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. meme? 5. MESSING nT'roewsv Oct. 1, 1963 Filed July 22, 1960 Oct. 1, 1963 H. s. MESSING 3,105,434

CONE PRESS Filed July 22. 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN V EN TOR. HJQLMFIR 5. MESSING g-wm QTTOENEY Oct. 1, 1963 H. s. MESSING CONE PRESS 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed July 22, L960 INVENTOR.

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IHJHLMAR S. MESSING QTTOENEI United States Patent 3,105,434 CQNE PRESS Hialmar S. Messing, New York, N.Y., assignor to The Black-Clawson Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Ohio Filed July 22, 1960, Ser. No. 44,605 4 Claims. (Cl. 190-458) The invention relates to filter presses and more particularly to presses of the type using rotary conical disks for extracting Water from paper pulp.

The invention constitutes an improvement over the types of press shown in my US. Patent No. 2,793,583, dated May 28, 1957, and in U.S. Patent No. 2,146,158 issued in the name of Charles F. Scherer on February 7, 1939.

While these presses have performed generally satisfactorily, they have certain objections. For example, the disk shafts in my prior patent are located in a plane which is inclined to vertical, thus causing the shafts to be inclined to the longitudinal axis of the machine both in plan and in elevation; and the entire force pressing the disks together must be borne by the frame of the machine. in the Scherer patent, special rollers must be provided to withstand the pressing force applied to the pulp.

General objects of the invention are to provide a press which is less complicated and less expensive to build and maintain; and one that may be made larger and more rugged than prior presses.

According to a preferred form of the present invention, the conical disks are journalled in bearing blocks which are supported by parallelogram rock lever assemblies. Each assembly comprises a set of short levers and a set or long levers. The levers are pivoted to the main frame of the press and to the bearing blocks. The long levers are connected at their tops by a tie-rod having a hydraulic jack.

The disks are urged toward each other by a pneumatic accumulator comprising a heavy steel shell containing a flexible bag. A conduit connects the shell and jack. The bag contains a compressible gas, such as nitrogen, and the shell and jack contain oil.

The disk shafts are in line in plan View, that is to say, the point of maximum gap between disks is located directly over the point of minimum gap. The disks are driven separately by individual electric synchronous motors. Wet pulp is force-fed through a top entrance by a screw conveyor at the point of maximum gap, and the rotating disks carry the pulp through the point of minimum gap, whence the pulp is delivered through a suitable exit.

The disks are located in a casing comprising a top shell and a bottom shell. Suitable seals are placed between the disks and the casing to divide the casing into a pulp path between the disks and a filtrate space in back of the disks, into which the water squeezed from the disks fiows. Suitable vacuum may be applied to the filtrate space to help remove moisture from the pulp. Suitable provision is applied for draining water collecting in the bottom of the case.

Provision is made for tilting upward and backward an entire bearing and disk assembly for inspection and repair. It is only necessary to remove the top casing shell, a rock lever pivot pin and this can be accomplished in a very simple manner.

Other objects and features of the invention will be more apparent from the following description when con sidered with the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the press according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the press;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the press;

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FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the side of the press opposite FIG. 1, showing the discharge opening;

PEG. 5 is a longitudinal fragmentary vertical section, showing one cone, bearing and drive structure of the press;

PEG. '6 is a transverse vertical section through the press, taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view of the press, in side elevation, to illustrate the operation of the rock levers and opening the press for inspection and repair of the disks.

In the following description and in the claims, various details are identified by specific names, for convenience, but they are intended to be as generic in their application as the art will permit.

Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings and description forming part of this specification, certain specific disclosure of the invention is made for purposes of explanation, but it will be understood that the details may be modified in various respects Without departure from the broad aspect of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGS. 1, 5, 6 and 7, the press will, first, be only generally described, after which it will be described more in detail.

The press comprises essentially a frame 19; and a housing 11 made up of a bottom shell 66 and a top shell 63. The shells enclose a pair of perforate conical disks 12 supported by shafts 13 which project through the housing 11 and are journalled in bearing locks 22. A center ring 77 is disposed between the disks 12 forming, with the disks and housing 11, an annular channel or path through which the pulp passes.

The .pulp is fed into the press by an off-center screw i (FIG. 6) where it enters the annular channel at the point of maximum gap 19 (PEG. 7). The pulp is carried by rotation of the disks 12 in the direction of 1e arrows (FIG. 6) to the point or" minimum gap 23, and thence to the pulp exit 15.

The shafts 13 are disposed in the same vertical plane and are set at an angle with horizontal. The bearing blocks 22 are supported by rock levers 23, 26, forming a parallelogram assembly, permitting the disks to have a limited movement toward and away from each other. A tiered 5i) connects the parallelogram assemblies. A hydraulic jack 51 is incorporated in the tie-rod St? to yieldably control the separating and approaching movements of the disks. ressure is applied to the jack 51 by a hydro-pneumatic pressure accumulator 58.

The rotation of the disks at a speed of, for example, one and one-half revolutions per minute, carries the pulp from the maximum gap 19 to the minimum gap 29; this squeezes the water from the pulp through the per-forations in the disks; the water collects in the bottom of the central chamber 16. Water flows out of the machine through exit opening 17 to a suitable point. Auxiliary opening 18 may be connected to a suction device (not shown) for impressing a partial vacuum on the space within the housing 11 to improve drying of the pulp.

The press will now be described more in detail.

The frame it? may be a single casting suitably webbed and ribbed for strength. it comprises a main base 31 on which is located the central chamber 16, and end pedestals or guides 21. One side of the base frame It) carries the water hole 17 and the mist hole 18, and the other side of the frame has a deep notch 37 for the pulp exit 15, as explained hereinafter.

Located between the guide frames 21 are the bearing locks 22 which journal the shafts 13 of the cone disks 12. These bearing blocks 22. are supported by the parallelogram rock lever assemblies. Since these assemblies scribe tone in detail.

Each rock lever assembly comprises a pair of short levers 23, and a pair of long levers 26. The long levers 26 are fulcrutned to the frame by a pin 27 which passes through both frame guides 21 and both long levers 2 6, as indicated particularly in FIG. 5. The short levers 23 are similarly fulcrnmed by a pivot pin 24.

Located between the pairs of lever 23, 26 is bearing block 22. The block 22 is pivoted between short levers 23 by pins 25 and between long levers 26 by pins 28. Thus it will be seen that the fulcrums 24, 27 and upper pins 25, 28 connect the frame 10 and bearing block 22 in such Way as to permit a swinging movement of the bearing block about the centers of the several pivots which, in turn, permits a limited axial spacing movement of the two cone disks 12.

The axial movement of disk 12 is limited by a pair of stop blocks 29 (FIG. 2). These stop blocks are bolted to the tops of the side frames 21, between the levers 23 and 26. When the right parallelogram assembly moves to the right (FIGS. 1 and 2), the short levers -23 engage blocks 29, and when the assembly moves :to the left, long levers 26 engage stop blocks 29.

Each cone disk 12 comprises a circular back plate 32 having a series of perforations 62 therein acting as a strainer plate. The disk 12 has a conical face 47, a tubul-ar hub 63 and a tubular rim 64. The tubular hub 63 is mounted upon the hollow shaft 13. The face of the strainer plate 32 is covered with a screen 65 which may be welded thereto. The conical disk 12 may be of any desired or well-known construction so long as it is perforate, permitting water, which is squeezed from the pulp, to pass from the front face of the disk to the back face of the disk, into filtrate space 104, where it drops into the bottom of central chamber 16, draining through water exit 17.

The shaft 13 is journalled in bearing block 22 by a radial bearing 34 and by an end thrust bearing 35. The shaft 13 projects through an end wall to supporta worm wheel 40, as indicated particularly in FIG. 1.

Each disk 12 is driven separately by its own electric synchronous motor 42. Since they are similar, it is only necessary :to describe the one electric drive in detail. It is important that both disks 12 run at exactly the same speed to prevent damage to the pulp fiber.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 3 and 5, the bearing block 22 supports a gear casing 36 which, in turn, supports bearings 33 for a worm 41 which meshes with worm wheel 40. Electric motor 42 is supported on the floor of the building substantially in line with the worm 41 and drives the worm 41 through shaft 43 and two universal joints 44 and 45. These universal joints are necessary because of the limited axial movement of the disk, bearing block, worm wheel assembly, due to the action of the rock levers 23, 26.

The squeezing action of the press on the pulp tends to spread apart the disks 12, which movement is imparted to the rock levers 23, 26. This spreading movement is resisted by the tie-rod assembly which connects the tops of the long rock levers 26. The tie-rod assembly comprises a tie-rod 59 threaded into block 49; pivot pin 52 passes through block 49 and the tops of one set of long rock levers 26. The other set of long levers 26 has disposed therebetween cylinder 55 through which pivot pin 53 passes. In cylinder 55 is disposed a piston 54 connected to the tie-rod 50. Oil under pressure is maintained between the piston 54 and the end of the cylinder 55 to urge the two parallelogram assemblies, and hence the cone disks, together. This oil pressure is maintained by pressure accumulator 58.

The pressure accumulator 58 may be of any standard construction. In the form shown it comprises a base which may be mounted in any convenient place, such as the top of one of the side guides 21, as indicated. The pressure accumulator comprises a steel shell 59 containing a flexible bag A flexible hose 61 connects the oil space in cylinder 55 with the base of the accumulator and the space \w'thin the steel shell 59. The interior of flexible bag 60 is filled with a compressible gas, such as nitrogen.

It will thus be seen that, as the squeezing action on the pulp tends to force the disks 12 apart, pressure is put on the oil in the hydraulic jack 51 which is communicated to the outside of flexible bag 69', which puts pressure on the gas within the bag.

The housing 11 for the disks 12 will now be described. The housing 111 comprises an upper half shell 63 and a lower half shell 66. The upper shell 68 comprises a ribbed, generally semi-cylindrical wall 75 closely fitting the periphery of the disks, and generally flat half side walls 70. The lower shell 65 comprises a ribbed, gennerally semi-cylindrical wall 76 closely fitting the periphery of the disks; generally flat half side walls 71; and the frame chamber 16.

It will be noted that the housing 11 comprising the top and bottom shells is widest at the top, and narrowest at the bottom, see FIGS. 1 and 5. The bottom wall 76 is supported by flanges 67 resting on the wall of the chamber 16. The top Wall 75 is supported by flanges 69 resting on the flanges 67. Bolts 89 pass through flanges 69 and 67 into the wall of base chamber 16. The upper side walls 70 are bolted to the top wall 75 by bolts 91; the lower side walls 71 are welded to frame 19. Circular rings 72 surround the hubs of shafts 13 to which the upper side walls 7% are bolted by bolts 90.

The shafts 13 carry sealing rings 74 which engage the stationary rings 72. As the shafts 13 move axially, due to the squeezing operation of the disks, the sealing rings 74 move axially of the stationary sealing rings 72. The stationary sealing rings have labyrinth seals 93 with lower side walls 71.

The center ring 77 has an inner tube 78, the two members being connected together by a series of radial struts 79, see also FIG. 6. The center ring 77 is held in central stationary position by an upper plate which is connected to the sleeve '83 of the screw conveyor 14. The center ring 77 is also supponted by a curved plate 81 which is connected to the cylindrical upper wall 75 of the upper shell 68.

The outer and inner rims of the disks 12 have sealing relation, respectively, with the upper and lower cylindrical walls 75, 76 on the one hand, and with the center ring 77 of the housing on the other hand. Contacting surfaces 73 and 80' are hardened, as indicated, to reduce wear. These surfaces maintain seal While permitting the axial squeezing movement of the disks relative to the stationary walls 75, 76 and to ring 77.

The cylindrical upper and lower walls 75, 76 of the housing 11 are interrupted by the pulp feed and exit openings 14, 15 described below. The upper wall 75 has an additional opening closed by removable cover 86. This cover may be removed for inspection of the machine.

The screw feed 14 will now be described. The feed tube 94 is connected to a dutchman 92 comprising a pair of half cylindrical plates suitably flanged. The dutchman 92 is connected to entry tube 95 which intersects the tube 83 of the screw feed. Tube 83- intersects :top cylindrical Wall 75 and plate 85.

The screw feed 14 comprises a speed reducer 96 in which is journalled a screw impeller 97 driven by electric motor 84. It will thus be seen that, as pulp is fed to tube '83, it is thrust by the rotating screw 97 into the space between the disks adjacent the maximum gap 19.

The pump exit 15 comprises the upper curved plate 81, FIG. 6, and curved lower plate 100' attached to the lower cylindrical wall 76. The mouth of the pulp exit 15 has side walls 101 connected to the upper and lower casing walls 75, 76, respectively, and separable therewith.

It will be noted that the plates 85 and 81 extend across the pulp passage between disks. These plates must have clearance with the disks when the disks are at their minimum spacing. To maintain a seal, and working contact, between these plates and the axially movable disks, the edges of these plates are provided with strips of yieldable material, such as rubber, which yieldably engage the disks while permitting axial movement thereof. Yieldable strips on plate 81 are indicated by 192 in FIG. 4.

The several seals help keep the filtrate space 104 behind the disks under partial vacuum when suction is applied at the mist opening 18. Access of air through the perforate disks is prevented by contact of the pulp against the perforate surfaces of the disks in that part of the pulp channel between the pulp inlet 14 and the pulp exit 15. In addition, air is excluded by the presence of pulp filling the extrance and exit openings. Only a small space at the exit is left uncovered, see FIG. 6. ingress of air through those portions of the disks not covered by pulp is prevented by the removable cover 86.

It will be noted that the axes of the shafts 13 intersect at center (FIG. 7) in a vertical transverse plane 46 perpendicular to the vertical longitudinal plane in which the said axes lie. These axes are disposed at an equal angle, for example, 7.5", with a horizontal plane. The conical faces 47 of the disks are disposed at the same angle, with respect to a plane perpendicular to the shaft axes, that the shaft axes make with horizontal. The

conical elements of the disks are thus parallel to each other at their lowermost position at the minimum gap, and at an angle of 15 with each other at their uppermost position at the maximum gap.

The center of gravity of the pulp space is located outward of the half-way point between center ring 77 and the outer cylindrical walls 75, 76. The points 19 and 29, indicating maximum and minimum gaps, also indicate the center of gravity of the pulp space.

One of the advantages of the above construction is the ability to easily open up and expose the disks for inspection and repair. One method of opening up one disk is as follows.

First, uncouple drive shaft 43 (FIG. 3). Then remove stops 29 (FIG. 2). Then remove the rod hinge pin 52 to separate the long levers 26 of one set from the other. Then remove lower hinge pin 24 of a set of short levers 23, then move the set of long levers 26 outwardly until the seal 8%} between the disk 12 and the center ring 77 is disengaged; then remove bolts t} and 91 and side plates 70. Then remove the dutchman 92. Then remove bolts 39 holding down the top shell 68. We are now ready to lift the complete top wall 75, including the screw feed 14-. Sealing rings 72 and 74 stay on the shaft.

The disk may be placed in various open positions. One position is illustrated in dotted lines at the right of FIG. 7 and another position by dotted lines at the left of FIG. 7. To place the disk in the inclined position at the right of FIG. 7, the lower hinge pin 24 is placed in special opening M36, as indicated. In this position it is necessary to continue to support the long lever 26 by a crane or hoist, not shown. To place the disk in the full-open position shown at the left of FIG. 7, the pin 24 is placed in special opening 107. In this position the disk assembly is shown resting on wooden blocks 1%.

Thus, there has been disclosed a press which has many advantages. In the first place, it is in line. The maximum and minimum gap between the two cone faces are in a true vertical line, and the two supporting shafts, with bearings and thrust resisting arrangements, are in line in plan view. In other words, the plane of the intersecting axes of the disk shafts is vertical. In line has many advantages from the standpoint of designing,

etailing, manufacturing and operating, providing the 6 in-feeding is properly taken care of, as, for example, by means using screw conveyor force.

When used for squeezing water from kraft pulp, the density of the in-feed may be from 10 to 15%, that is to say, 100 pounds of wet pulp contains 10 to 15% pulp on a bone dry basis, and to water. It requires tremendous pressure to de-water this pulp down to a 45 to 50% density.

As an example, in a press having a capacity of 200 tons per 24 hours of kraft wood pulp on a bone dry basis, the pressure from the rotors to the shaft and bearings may be about 300,080 pounds to produce 50% density after press. Bearings and parallelogram arrangement Will take the whole brunt of this force, but the pull on the tie-rod and hydraulic ack will be only about one-third (100,000) pounds, and the pull on the main frame will be only about two-thirds (200,000) pounds of the total pressing force.

The parallelogram rocker arrangement reduces the force on the press frame, as indicated. Assuming that we allow a total rocking back and forth of each bearing housing 22 of inch, and that the radius (24 to 25 and 27 to 28) of the rocker arms is 30 inches, the height of the arc (up-down) is almost nothing. Thus, we can assume that the rocking movement of the disks, for all intents and purposes, is truly axial. Considering necessary bearing slacknesses, a good fit is assured between rotor and housing seals.

The tilting provision for opening the disks for inspection is a great advantage. Using the fulcrum point of the long levers, and removing the hinge pin from the short levers, the whole bearing assembly can be tilted upward and backward for inspection or repair of a rotor screen plate, or for changing of rotor and bearings, and so forth.

The use of the small hydraulic jack and pressure accumulator simplifies construction. As the rocking stroke is restricted, the pre-load oil pressure is ready to react as soon as the press is started and beginning to fill with pulp. When press in-feed reaches desired maximum capacit the ideal condition of hydraulic reaction would be to arrest and hold the rocking at the middle of the total stroke allowed, thus having half a stroke left for emergencies, like variations of density, speed of rotation, feeding rate, and so forth.

The pressure accumulator is an ideal source of hydraulic pressure because the oil displaced in the jack automatically adds to the volume of oil in the accumulator and oil pressure increases at an even rate The amount of increase can be predetermined by stroke length and size of accumulator. In the example above given, the pressure may increase about 40% from Zero to full stroke, i.e. from 100,000 to 140,000 pounds.

By choosing a very large pressure accumulator having a large gas sack, the pressure build-up may be made as small as desired; and by choosing a very small accumulater, the pressure buildup may be made as large as desired.

The motors 42 may be of the order of 30 H.P. each. At a disk speed of l to 2 rpm, tremendous torque is applied to the worm wheel case 36, to hearing block 22 and to the rock levers 23, 26. This torque is effectively resisted by the pedestal guides 21. The rock levers 23, 26 slidably engage both guides 21 and bearing block 22 (FIG. 3).

The use of synchronous electric motors to drive the disks is of great advantage because of the large torques involved and the desirability of rotating the disks at exactly the same speed to prevent damage to the fiber.

The screw conveyor in-feed is important since it is desirable to compress and enter the charge into the press in such fashion that it will be picked up between the two cone faces and carried forward. It is desirable to subject the pulp to the full one-half circle path between maxi-mum and minimum gaps; and it is particularly advantageous to give the charge a forward push in the right direction (tangential to the circular path of pulp travel between disks) at the center of gravity between the two cone faces; this action is not obtained when pulp is fed radially of the circular path into the rotating center of gravity between the two cone faces.

The press has uses in addition to squeezing water from a wood pulp. It may be used for extracting other liquids from other materials that are amenable to operation of this press, as, for example, food stuffs, sugar cane, etc.

While certain novel features of the invention have been disclosed herein, and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a press, a frame, a pair of disks having confronting faces arranged at an angle to each other and defining a pressing zone, each disk having a central shaft remote from said pressing zone, bear-ing blocks, one journalling each shaft, a parallelogram assembly supporting each bearing block; each parallelogram assembly comprising a short lever device, lower pivot means connecting said short lever device to said frame, upper pivot means connecting said short lever device to said bearing block, a long lever device, lower pivot means connecting said long lever device to said frame, upper pivot means connecting said long lever device to said bearing block, a tie device connecting the long lever devices of the respective parallelogram assemblies, a pressure device incorporated in said tie device, whereby pressure generated by material squeezed between said disks is resisted by said pressure device.

2. In a press, a frame, a pair of disks having con-fronting faces arranged at an angle to each other and defining a pressing zone, each disk having a central shaft remote from said pressing zone, bearing blocks, one journaling each shaft, a rock lever assembly supporting at least ne bearing block; said rock lever assembly comprising a first lever device, lower pivot means connecting said first lever device to said frame, upper pivot means connecting said first lever device to said bearing block, a second lever device, lower pivot means connecting said second lever device to said frame, upper pivot means connecting said second lever device to said bearing block, a pressure device urging said disks together, whereby pressure generated by material squeezed by the said disks is resisted by said pressure device.

3. In a press according to claim 2, stop devices to limit movement of said disks toward and away from each other.

'4. In a press according to claim 2, said lever devices each comprising a lever on either side of its respective bearing block.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 271,161 Treber Jan. 23, 1883 2,146,158 Scherer Feb. 7, 1939 2,617,354 Ingalls Nov. 11, 1952 2,691,339 Edwards Oct. 12, 1954 2,793,583 Messing May 28, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 65,492 Netherlands Apr, 15, 1950 

1. IN A PRESS, A FRAME, A PAIR OF DISKS HAVING CONFRONTING FACE ARRANGED AT AN ANGLE TO EACH OTHER AND DEFINING A PRESSING ZONE, EACH DISK HAVING A CENTRAL SHAFT REMOTE FROM SAID PRESSING ZONE, BEARING BLOCKS, ONE JOURNALLING EACH SHAFT, A PARALLELOGRAM ASSEMBLY SUPPORTING EACH BEARING BLOCK; EACH PARALLELOGRAM ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A SHORT LEVER DEVICE, LOWER PIVOT MEANS CONNECTING SAID SHORT LEVER DEVICE TO SAID FRAME, UPPER PIVOT MEANS CONNECTING SAID SHORT LEVER DEVICE TO SAID BEARING BLOCK, A LONG LEVER DEVICE, LOWER PIVOT MEANS CONNECTING SAID LONG LEVER DEVICE TO SAID FRAME, UPPER PIVOT MEANS CONNECTING SAID LONG LEVER DEVICE TO SAID BEARING BLOCK, A TIE DEVICE CONNECTING THE LONG LEVER DEVICES OF THE RESPECTIVE PARALLELOGRAM ASSEMBLIES, A PRESSURE DEVICE INCORPORATED IN SAID TIE DEVICE, WHEREBY PRESSURE GENERATED BY MATERIAL SQUEEZED BETWEEN SAID DISKS IS RESISTED BY SAID PRESSURE DEVICE. 